Jewelry Made in Rome

Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the city’s reputation for goldsmithing is still a work in progress. A case in point: the Oro di Roma – Il Gioiello Made in Italy show celebrated its fifth year of operation last week in Rome, bringing together jewelry designers from the Lazio region (most of whom are little known compared with peers in Valenza, Arezzo, and Vicenza) with international buyers.

Organizers include the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, and Sviluppo Lazio, a consortium of about 80 designers and manufacturers in and around Rome. In years past, events have garnered success, according to Giuseppe D’Alessio, project supervisor for Oro di Roma and principal, Confesercenti Provinciali, event planner for the show. This year’s group of 25 visitors, including JCKstyle, are mainly buyers from the United States, Russia, China, and Spain who met with officials, viewed jewelry, and got acquainted with the Lazio region—known for its food, wine, fashions, and more.

While much of the jewelry embodied the bold fashion aesthetic of the Italians, U.S. attendees sourced components and sought assistance for producing custom work. Plus, Italian designers were happy to modify existing designs to suit American tastes. But perhaps most notable is the fact that the event did not feature a typical show floor of jewelry exhibitors. Instead, event organizers set up meeting stations—kind of like speed dating—for Italian designers to present collections to potential buyers in 30-minute increments.

The Oro di Roma “show,” which was really just a room with tables set up for designers and buyers to conduct business.

The only jewelry on display at the show–one large case of it in the front of the room.

While the format wasn’t flawless (appointments ran overtime and many didn’t produce sales), the event’s efficient means of networking won over most, save for this journalist, who had a difficult time seeing much jewelry because business was being conducted. Thankfully, the Italians provided us with a well-stocked CD of images. Enjoy!